Showing results by publisher "Penguin Audio" in Entertainment & Celebrities

What could possibly connect Prince, the great 20th century singer songwriter and Charles Dickens, the great writer of classics usually stuffed into the hands of adolescents too early? What could these two geniuses, one born in 1812 in England, and the other in 1950s Minneapolis, have in common? Tracing their lives, from the early years to their relationships with women, their finances to their inability to stop working, Dickens and Prince is a brilliantly surprising and joyous uncovering of the essence of a very particular and unique type of genius.

Paul Sinha is an award-winning comedian, a quizzing mastermind and a happily married husband. But it hasn't always been this way. As a boy, Paul struggled to find his place in a world where he didn't quite fit. Who was he? A smart young man with the world's knowledge at his fingertips? A traditional Bengali son, destined for a career in medicine that he didn't want? A gay man who couldn't quite come out? A man on a self-destruct mission? Amid life's chaos, it was general knowledge that kept Paul sane, even as he struggled into a new life as a stand-up comedian.

Fern had recently entered her 60s when a series of life-altering events threw her into the eye of the storm. Both her parents passed away, her 20-year marriage ended, and the pandemic was looming. Faced with an uncertain future, Fern decided that if she wanted to start over, now was the time. In The Older I Get, join Fern as she candidly shares her experiences of grief and loss, rebuilding confidence and exploring new passions, as well as the importance of finding friends you can put the world to rights with over a couple of Cosmos.

The world of dating has never been more complicated, from situationships to soft launches, red flags, beige flags and everything in between. Let’s face it, it’s a lot of fun, but it can also be confusing! I’ve recently re-entered my single girl era and want to take you along for the ride as I dive into the world of modern relationships and how to navigate them, sharing the awkward, the cute and the cringey moments that come with it. I’ve held nothing back, spilling my dating secrets, funny stories and top tips.

In The Indispensable Composers, Tommasini offers his own personal guide to the canon - and what greatness really means in classical music. What does it mean to be canonical now? Who gets to say? And do we have enough perspective on the 20th century to even begin assessing it? To make his case, Tommasini draws on elements of biography, the anxiety of influence, the composer's relationships with colleagues, and shifting attitudes toward a composer's work over time.

Christopher Fowler's memoir captures life in suburban London as it has rarely been seen: through the eyes of a lonely boy who spends his days between the library and the cinema, devouring novels, comics, and cereal packets - anything that might reveal a story. Caught between an ever-sensible but exhausted mother and a DIY-obsessed father fighting his own demons, Christopher takes refuge in words.

Comedy, Tragedy, Therapy. Simon Amstell did his first stand-up gig at the age of 13. His parents had just divorced, and puberty was confusing. Trying to be funny solved everything. Read by Simon Amstell, and interspersed with footage from his stand-up tours, HELP is the hilarious and heartbreaking account of Simon's ongoing compulsion to reveal his entire self onstage. To tell the truth so it can't hurt him anymore. Loneliness, anxiety, depression - this book has it all. And more.

From DJ gigs in Southampton nightclubs to chart-topping global fame, Craig David found overnight success as a teenager. With no place for feelings of insecurity, he learned to push them down, building a reputation as the man who always had a smile on his face. Further down the line, things began to unravel. All the negative feelings Craig had been ignoring rose to the surface. He had to change his thinking.

By turns hilarious, revelatory, and desperately sad, here is the autobiography of the man whose successes, such as "Hello Dolly!", "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em" and "The Phantom of the Opera" have made him a national institution. The story of the true identity of his father, which is behind this book's title, leads into an evocative depiction of his tender childhood years.

As a young schoolboy, David Essex dreamed of becoming a professional footballer and was signed up by his beloved West Ham United. But as a teenager, he developed a passion for music, which set him on a very different path, and ultimately led to superstardom. It wasn't, however, an easy start. Scraping a living on the edges of show business was a hard slog, and he endured many disappointments. Then, aged 23, he went along to an audition for a new musical called Godspell and won the role (Jesus) that shot him to fame.

Written in her own words, this candid account takes an intimate, behind the scenes look at the reality of a life lived on social media and under the scrutiny of the public eye. Coleen Rooney has always been true to herself. In My Account, she tells us how her upbringing prepared her for a life in the full glare of public and media scrutiny. In fact, from an early age, she was no stranger to responsibility, having two younger brothers as well as welcoming disabled foster sister Rosie into the family.

El artista Ricky Martin quien ha vendido mas de 60 millones de albumes en todo el mundo habla por primera vez sobre su infancia, sus comienzos musicales en el grupo Menudo, su busqueda de identidad durante el fenomeno de "Livin La Vida Loca", la aceptacion de su sexualidad, las relaciones en las que descubrio el amor y las decisiones que cambiaron su vida como el convertirse en padre y su dedicacion por ayudar a los ninos des privilegiados en todo el mundo.

Raymond Sarlot bought the Chateau Marmont in 1975, but what was originally a business purchase became a love affair as he delved into the hotel's incredible history. From its perch overlooking the Sunset Strip, the glamorous Marmont reigned for decades as the spot for artists, writers, musicians, and actors of every stripe and remains a home-away-from-home for A-listers like Scarlett Johansson and Johnny Depp. Here, Sarlot and coauthor Fred E. Basten share a wealth of scandalous and intriguing tales about them all.

John Hodgman - New York Times best-selling author, semifamous personality, deranged millionaire, increasingly elderly husband, father, and human of Earth - has written a memoir about his cursed travels through two wildernesses: from the woods of his home in Massachusetts, birthplace of rage, to his exile on the coast of Maine, so-called Vacationland, home to the most painful beaches on Earth.

Fanatical about cricket since he was a boy, Miles Jupp would do anything to see his heroes play. But perhaps deciding to bluff his way into the press corps during England's Test series in India wasn't his best idea. By claiming to be the cricket correspondent for BBC Scotland and getting a job with the (Welsh) Western Mail, Miles lands the press pass that will surely be the ticket to his dreams. Soon, he finds himself in cricket heaven - drinking with David Gower and Beefy, and sharing bar room banter with Nasser Hussain.

The Charlatans have had three UK Number One albums and 17 Top Thirty singles. But they’ve also had to face the imprisonment and death of keyboard player Rob Collins and an accountant who ran off with all their money. Not to mention the rock & roll excesses of singer Tim Burgess. In his startlingly revealing memoir, not ghosted but written by Burgess himself, he describes how they dealt with their crises, and what’s gone right with the band as much as what’s gone wrong.

From best-selling author Julie Klam comes a lively and engaging exploration of celebrity: Why celebrities fascinate us, what it means to be famous today, and why celebrities are so important. “When I was young I was convinced celebrities could save me”, Julie Klam admits in The Stars in Our Eyes, her funny and personal exploration of fame and celebrity. As she did for subjects as wide-ranging as dogs, mothers, and friendship, Klam brings her infectious curiosity and crackling wit to the topic of celebrity.

Adopted at six months old by Dubliners Sean and Helen Gallagher, PJ spent much of his childhood knocking back Lucozade with the local alcoholics in his parents' northside pub. But the chaos that reigned for his first ten years was nothing compared to what happened when - having lost the pub - Helen took in psychiatric patients from the local hospital to give them 'care in the community'. Now it was a household of ten - PJ, his sister, his parents and six lost souls. Worst. Idea. Ever. Madhouse is PJ's riotous life story.

Wretch 32 is one of the most influential musicians at work in Britain today. He is also a lyricist of unparalleled ability and an advocate of music as a tool to educate as well as to entertain. In an age of unprecedented social and political change, Wretch’s music stands as a medium of protest and of progress, helping to explain and shape a new era. Rapthology is an anthology of the songs that have shaped Wretch, and our society, over the last 30 years, from gospel music to dance hall anthems to the most innovative emerging young voices.

Random House presents the audiobook edition of On the Front Line with the Women Who Fight Back, written and read by Stacey Dooley. Put yourself in their shoes. In 2007, Stacey Dooley was a 20-something working in fashion retail. She was selected to take part in the BBC series Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts, which saw her live and work alongside Indian factory workers making clothes for the UK high street. This sparked her series of hugely popular investigations.